On health care, who cares about the U.S. Constitution?

I would like to address my symptoms to the 535 practitioners who meet in that great hospital in Washington, D.C. – known as the U.S. Capitol.

I am sick.

I am sick of the health care debate, the health care debacle and the health lies and half truths.

I am sick of those who ignore the most basic law of our land. Please show me one constitutional justification for ramming so-called “health care reform” down the throats of the American people.

As far as I can tell, the sum total of words that could be used by some form of twisted and tortured logic to justify this new massive tax-payer boondoggle are found only in the Preamble – “promote the General Welfare.”

In the name of promoting the general welfare, we now have Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and a host of other federal programs whose costs rip the guts from our paychecks.

But the Preamble must be read in light of the rest of the constitution. Our constitution is designed to limit the power and role of government in our lives. The framers believed government is a problem that must be limited to allow the people to enjoy true liberty.

In the past few decades, the federal government has increasingly seized power and intruded in our lives.

I routinely ask students I teach what impact government has on their lives. At first, they say, “None.” However, once I ask them to look at their paychecks, then their idea of government’s impact changes.

The American people seem to have forgotten some important lessons.

First, government does not have any money – not one dime.

Every single penny government spends comes from taxes we pay – and the money these spendthrifts borrow on our collective credit. Our government has run so inefficiently for so long that every man, woman, and child in the United States is in debt $40,000. That debt grows every day.

Yet, Washington politicians have an answer for their massive tax and spend policies: more taxing and spending. The proposed health care plan – or plans, since no one really knows what is going to wind up in the final version of the bill – will add $3,000 per year to that debt, even by the most conservative estimates.

Can we really borrow our way to prosperity – or to health reform?

National Public Radio (NPR) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) both have reported that estimated spending on the proposed health care reform will come in at $829 billion during the first 10 years. NPR and AARP are not exactly right-wing think tanks.

What will be the source of that money?

Please go back to lesson one: government does not have any money. If government is going to spend $829 billion over 10 years, then that money will come either from taxes or from borrowing or from “cuts” and “savings” in other programs.

Despite President Obama’s assurances that Medicare funding will not be touched, the bill the Senate Finance Committee just approved will cut $500 billion from Medicare. The President proposes – but Congress disposes.

I am not a big believer in polls, but members of Congress usually worship at the altar of polls, so they may want to take a look at some recent numbers.

First, results from a Time magazine poll show that more than 60 percent of those polled believe reform plans will make health care costs go up.

Almost two-thirds believe new federal reforms will make the health care system more complicated, and 56 percent believe reforms will reduce the freedom people have to choose doctors and coverage.

Time magazine is not part of the vast right-wing conspiracy, is it?

The bottom line is simple: Do you trust the government to run health care?

How much government-run health care can you afford?

Mike Parker is a columnist for The Free Press. You can reach him at mparker16@suddenlink.net or in care of this newspaper.